Progress at Last

January 16, 2011 by meredithmansfield

This week, I finally got through the chapter of DREAMER’S ROSE that’s had me stopped for nearly a month. This is a story that has fought me tooth and nail from almost the beginning. Well, that’s not quite fair. It’s only this first part that fights me. The rest has gone fairly smoothly. I’ve been tempted just to chop off this beginning and start where the story starts flowing more easily, but that just ends up feeling unbalanced to me.

Part of the problem with this first section is the old, old one from the very first of trying to create enough conflict for a character that’s basically invulnerable. That’s not easy. I think I’ve finally hit on the right balance–or close to it–for the male main character. I may do some cutting in the next pass, but I’m feeling a lot better about it.

Then I got stopped on the two chapters in this section that are written from the antagonist’s point of view. Have I mentioned that writing real villains is harder for me? And this one is a particularly slimy little sociopath. Well, I finally got through the chapters that show his development and I’m making good progress on the next chapter (back in the male main character’s point of view).

The next chapter after this shouldn’t need too much revision and then it’s on to the chapters where the female main character makes her appearance. Those are actually some of the first chapters I wrote and they’ve always just flowed better for me.

Since this first section is basically a rewrite, I’ve given myself first-draft permission not to get everything perfect right now. The later sections will be more of a revision and, hopefully, will go faster.

It feels good to be past that block, finally.

Posted in writing | Tagged characters, fantasy, revisions, rewrites, writing, Young Adult | 4 Comments

4 Responses

on January 16, 2011 at 3:05 pm | Reply Robin

I feel for you! I’m having to completely rewrite the first 3-4 chapters on my first “revision” pass, and it’s hard! When do I get to actually revise something that’s already written?

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on January 16, 2011 at 3:15 pm | Reply meredithmansfield

When you get to the part you like better. Beginnings, in general, are almost always the hardest part and the part that gets revised/rewritten most.

The beginning of DREAMER’S ROSE has always given me fits, more than any other novel I can think of.

I was lucky on MAGE STORM. The beginning of that was already written as a short story (that always seemed to fade out rather than really end). I didn’t have to do much to it at all to open it up for a more complete story. I suspect that’s what it always should have been anyway.

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on January 16, 2011 at 6:01 pm | Reply HaleyWhitehall

I find the first chapters are the hardest to write as well. Congratulations on getting it done. I also find it difficult to write real villains. Trying to create conflict with a character who is invulnerable sounds extremely difficult. I’m curious to know what you came up with.

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on January 16, 2011 at 6:30 pm | Reply meredithmansfield

Well, I basically cut the first part as short as I could (or close) to get to the point where his son opposes him.

He can’t be hurt physically, but that doesn’t mean a little familial conflict won’t get to him. Besides, another reason I want to make this beginning work is it lets me–or forces me–to show the antagonist’s development into what he becomes.

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